


Of Scars and Steel

by th3rm0pyl43



Category: Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Benevolent Aliens, Body Image, Crossover Pairings, Drabble Collection, Emotional Baggage, Established Relationship, Flashbacks, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, M/M, Non-Chronological, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Recovery, Self-Acceptance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-11
Updated: 2019-09-15
Packaged: 2020-10-14 19:31:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20606132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/th3rm0pyl43/pseuds/th3rm0pyl43
Summary: Two broken men meet.Iron and carbon, silver and gold, blood and shards; two broken men from worlds that could hardly be more different.And yet, their pain is the same.





	1. Need [T]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [CW: mention of drug use]

Heavens, Adam had never thought about how completely starved he was of physical intimacy.

Just sitting in Max's lap, bodies pressed close together, the general's warm, powerful arms around his torso, released a flood of _feeling_ that Adam had buried deep within himself ever since the incident that had changed him forever. Not arousal - no, he had remained more or less familiar with that.

It was some indescribable emotion that shoved aside all else and, once dethroned, forcefully took back its place amidst his consciousness.

It felt _right_. It _was_ right to be here with the man he trusted, the man he loved, the man he had exposed himself to more profoundly than anyone else.

Max's hands were always gentle, fingertips following the clear-cut lines where flesh met smooth carbon fiber, splayed palms offering their calming weight or putting their strength to good use when kneading away tension.

Adam always relished the contact even if it was just a covert squeeze of his hand; almost craved it, come to think of it.

He shifted to rest his forehead against the general's for a while, eyes still closed, and leaned in for a slow, tender kiss. Max responded readily with the comforting touch of his large hands on Adam's chest as their lips met, then one hand moved higher up to run gently through his hair.

Perhaps this was his Neuropozyne.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes hello I played too much Mankind Divided and got extremely attached to Adam and this is the result
> 
> Each chapter will have its own individual rating added to its title.  
Chapters are in no particular order.  
Content warnings will be added to a chapter's notes where applicable.


	2. Trust [T]

_Marchenko_-

No... no, the general looked _nothing_ like Marchenko.

Tall and stocky, yes, but first of all shirtless and not in a bulky overcoat, and in place of mismatched, unwieldy augmentations were a pair each of scarred, thickly muscled flesh and blood arms and warm hazel eyes.

Jensen's gaze lingered on those eyes. His CASIE unit was quick to analyze what they were telling him, but all it did was spell out what he had already understood.

_I trust you._


	3. Mirror, Part I [T]

_ Water is my eye _

_ Most faithful mirror _

_ Fearless on my breath _

_ Teardrop on the fire _

_ Of a confession _

_ Fearless on my breath _

_\-- Teardrop_, Massive Attack 

* * *

"...no, it's fine. I wanted to make sure it's okay for you too." His free hand went back to his shirt, then he paused again. "If it's more comfortable for you to sleep in underwear, I won't mind."

Finally, he pulled up and discarded the shirt onto a chair near the bed, not bothered at all by the fact that Veers now had a prime view of his topless self, and despite the ceiling light being dimmed, nothing was hidden.

Adam's torso was, at very first glance, hardly different to any other human's; lean and muscular, the attachments of his artificial arms flaring out across his skin like the petals of a black carbon fiber rose, or the thick, unbreakable roots of an ancient tree. Supporting struts stood out under the skin of his chest as thin straight lines, a minimalistic geometrical pattern drawn across firm pectoral muscles. Black rods framed his throat on either side, briefly surfacing from beneath his skin before disappearing again under his jaw. Circular ports were scattered across his upper chest, placed in perfect symmetry in contrast to the natural asymmetry of the body.

The slightly baggy cargo pants that hugged his slim hips were next, revealing long, sleek black legs, their attachments mirroring the strange elegance of his shoulders, partly disappearing under nondescript charcoal briefs. In notable difference to the rest of his prostheses, the shape of Adam's feet looked quite more reminiscent of high-heeled shoes than, well, human feet. 

Compared to his fit body, the cybernetics looked almost skeletal even though his thighs and upper arms were sculpted to mimic the shape of chiseled muscle. There was a _ flow _ to their design, their color and the subtle lines both standing in contrast to and harmonizing with pale skin and toned flesh. 

They were _ beautiful_. 

Adam stood still, thoughts racing, yet drifting like a leaf on tranquil waters. He decided that there was no right or wrong in this moment; he just wanted to see how Ve- _ Max _ would react. The man had done a terrible job at hiding his curiosity; now here was what he wanted to see.

He thought back to a time when he had hated this body. _ His _ body. Hadn't wanted it, let alone learn how to live with it. A bygone age. 

Time had allowed that wound to heal and taught him to appreciate the gift he had in fact been given. 

First he had no longer wanted to punch every mirror he came across. Then he'd spent many hours just studying himself. Making the connections between _ this _ and _ me_. 

Next, gradual acceptance; then, appreciation. From cursing David Sarif's name to calling him at some ungodly hour only to say _ thank you_. 

This feeling, this strange, gleaming euphoria, was unlike anything Adam could ever have imagined before his _ change_, and he was certain it was his most closely guarded secret. 

Adam loved his body now. He knew it well, had pushed its limits, had seen the miracles it could do. 

As this warm, nameless emotion spread through his very being, its soothing heat radiating even throughout the most delicate cables and perfect substructures of his limbs, a soft viridian glow blossomed from his irises, illuminating their mechanical fractals that one could only see from inches away. 

His body was nothing to be ashamed of. Nothing to let himself be shunned for. Nothing to hide away, not anymore. 

It was beautiful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'Teardrop' is my absolute favorite song to write this to. Go listen to it, off you go!


End file.
